How negotiated democracy saved Duale from losing his Garissa Township seat

By: ABDIKADIR OKASH

GARISSA—Garissa Township Member of Parliament (MP) and the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Aden Barre Daule has settled for a negotiated democracy and would not defend his parliamentary seat in the next year’s election, Kulan Post understands.

Aden Duale addressing crowd in Garissa during a unity meeting to iron out difference in the Abuduwaq clan.  His clan elders advised the MP to contest for Mbalambala seat instead of Garissa Township. PHOTO/ Courtesy

In a series of meeting held in Nairobi and Garissa over the last one month, the clan elders of Abuduwaq advised Duale to concentrate on national politics and leave the rest to them.

Instead of battling it out for the Garissa Township seat against the former deputy speaker of the tenth parliament Farah Maalim, the elders decided that Duale would move to Balambala constituency where he “would be elected unopposed.”

Balambala is currently represented in the National Assembly by Abdikadir Omar Aden alias Abdi K (ODM).

Duale has not publicly declared his wish to defend Garissa Township seat in earnest and this latest development in Garissa could explain just why.

Former Lagdera MP Farah Maalim has been involved in an intense campaign for Garissa Township seat since January when he declared his intention to unseat Duale who he accused of being out of touch with the locals.

“I was approached by the religious leaders in Garissa who asked me to unseat Duale because the man was behind the passage of the controversial anti-terror  bill of 2014. He never listened to his people.

“He never consulted them on such a sensitive matter,” Farah told this writer in  January.

Since Farah went public on the news, Duale visited Garissa dozen times more than he did in the last three years.

From contesting for the senatorial post in Garissa County in 2013 to Garissa MP, local political observers believe Farah Maalim is a man on a mission to keep Duale busy at his backyard in a bid to save his party leader Raila Odinga the headache of “Duale factor.”

On Saturday in Garissa, the elders of the Abuduwaq clan led by Dekow Maalim Sumbul will hold a press conference where they would share their game plan for the 2017 elections.The sub clan is eyeing the gubernatorial seat in Garissa County and any slight threat in their unity could see them lose the seat as happened in 2013 elections.

In 2013, Duale nearly missed the Garissa Township seat to Abdinasir Jofle while his cousin, gubernatorial hopeful Ali Buno conceded the governor’s position to the incumbent Nadhif Jama.

To avoid such scenario from happening once more, the elders hatched a political plan to save Duale from the embarrassment of losing his seat since, apart from Maalim, he is faced with imminent threat from his close clanmen—Lamu County Secretary and former Garissa mayor Siyat Osman and Amani Deputy Leader Cpt Abdiyare Mohamud.

“The elders observed that if Duale concentrates on Garissa politics, he could lose his place in the Jubilee party,” a source intimated to Kulan Post.

Duale could not afford to face off against Cpt Abdi since Garissa Township is populated by the latter’s sub clan members.

“Duale is now compelled to settle for the little competitive Mbalambala constituency unopposed as a way of reserving his place in the national stage,” the source said.

He added, “If it happens that the incumbent Mbalambala MP Abdikadir Aden agrees to the plan, then Duale would have saved himself from the axe and his Abuduwaq clan from division.”

However, critics of Duale believe the MP is behind the plan and is using the elders as sacrificial lambs in a bid to steer away from local competition after sensing defeat against Maalim.